The controversial suspension to Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter has been reduced from two games to one, Vols athletic director Danny White confirmed on Tuesday.
Carter had been banned after his agent paid for a $427 flight to a pre-NFL Draft workout. Because Carter withdrew from the draft, the flight was considered an impermissible benefit. As Tennessee noted in its appeal to the NCAA, Carter ended his business relationship with the agent upon returning to school and also reimbursed him for the flight. Arguing that Carter had acted in good faith, the Vols’ appeal had the initial three-game ban reduced to two before Tuesday’s ruling.
“While I strongly agree with [Tennessee head coach] Josh Heupel’s comment about how ridiculous this is in our current environment, one game is better than two,” White wrote on social media. “If players around the country are allowed to leave NFL camps and play college football, the NCAA should do the right thing and drop it all altogether. This is yet another example of applying archaic rules from another era, without evolving and, most importantly, putting student-athletes’ experiences above bureaucracy. Arion doesn’t deserve this unnecessary distraction. He is everything that is right about college sports, a team leader who has already earned his degree.”
A native of Smyrna, TN, Carter heads into his senior season. Carter has played in 31 games (including bowl games) over his first three seasons. He registered 161 tackles, an interception and 1.5 sacks.
With the ban reduced, Carter will now miss the Vols’ Sept. 5 opener at home against Furman, but will be eligible to return in time for the team’s Sept. 12 visit to Georgia Tech.
